Stumbling on Happiness is a book about a very simple but powerful idea. What distinguishes us as human beings from other animals is our ability to predict the future--or rather, our interest in predicting the future. We spend a great deal of our waking life imagining what it would be like to be this way or that way, or to do this or that, or taste or buy or experience some state or feeling or thing. We do that for good reasons: it is what allows us to shape our life. And it is by trying to exert some control over our futures that we attempt to be happy. But by any objective measure, we are really bad at that predictive function. We're terrible at knowing how we will feel a day or a month or year from now, and even worse at knowing what will and will not bring us that cherished happiness. Gilbert sets out to figure what that's so: why we are so terrible at something that would seem to be so extraordinarily important?

In making his case, Gilbert walks us through a series of fascinating--and in some ways troubling--facts about the way our minds work. In particular, Gilbert is interested in delineating the shortcomings of imagination. We're far too accepting of the conclusions of our imaginations. Our imaginations aren't particularly imaginative. Our imaginations are really bad at telling us how we will think when the future finally comes. And our personal experiences aren't nearly as good at correcting these errors as we might think.

Grateful I am indeed to Rol who sent me the link to a YouTube video of a talk by Daniel Gilbert. It is very well worth watching to learn the secret of true happiness ... which is not what you think it will be and not what Rhonda Byrne would like you to think it is. Unlike Byrne, Gilbert is actually able to provide you with some evidence beyond the mere anecdotal to support what he's saying.

13 comments:

SecretHistory
said...

Oh dear, does that mean I should not imagine anymore? Last night I dreamt that I just won the first edition of "Time for a Tiger" on ebay at dirtcheap price and I was happy. Now I may not be happy if that happens? Will you be happy to have that pink book Sharon?

After reading this blog for months, I just realized that I would not be able to enjoy all the beauty of the world. The Works of Men: books, art, buildings, idea. The Works of Nature: trees, scenery, sea, mountain. The Congregation of Human Beings: conferences, soirees, parties, dinners..... How I wish if I can be like Methuselah.....

He reminds me a bit of Robert Kiyosaki.. all he's saying is, what is he saying exactly ? :D he's saying a lot without saying anything at all. It's just that people interpret him to be saying what they THINK he's saying, then they think "this man is good" but what they're really thinking is "this man is telling me what I want to hear".

I bet if you ask 10 different people, you'll have 10 different interpretations. That's his universal appeal. thjis is why everyone will say "he is good" and buy his books (which is the main point actually.) Same thing happens with Kiyosaki. The way to sell lots of books is to make people think you're telling them what they want to hear. The more ambiguous, amorphous and malleable your message is, the more people will interpret it to mean what they want.

Then they will buy the book because it's "interesting". The fact that he's not making any points AT ALL will be completely ignored because he sounds like he knows what he's talking about.